For centuries, grains have been grown and harvested as one of the most basic food staples. Grains including corn, wheat, rye, oats and others are traditionally ground into flour for use as the main building block for making a variety of baked goods including breads, pastas, tortillas and dessert items.
Regardless of the grain type, the individual grain kernels comprise a fibrous exterior shell referred to as bran, an interior starch portion called the endosperm, and a nutrient-rich core called the germ. During milling of the grain kernels, processes can be used to separate and remove the bran and germ from the endosperm resulting in a refined grain that is almost pure starch. While refined grains have advantages such as appearance and consistency, health studies have suggested that diets high in starches, like those from refined grains, play a role in certain unhealthy conditions such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes among others. Conversely, many of these same studies have indicated that the use of whole grains or grains that contain the entire kernel including the bran, endosperm and germ, promote certain health advantages.
One reason suggested for the health advantages associated with whole grains is that the bran and germ are both the nutrient-rich portions of the grain kernel and include concentrated portions of essential vitamins and nutrients. Further, the fibrous make-up of bran provides an excellent source of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that diets rich in whole grains can reduce the risks of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Furthermore, other studies have suggested that individuals who consume whole grains tend to eat less and as a consequence, may weigh less or lose weight.
Various wheat varieties are grown for food production, each one being generally used in baking applications that are suited to the specific traits and characteristics of the wheat. Six classes of wheat are Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat, Hard Red Spring (HRS) wheat, Hard White (HW) wheat, Soft White (SW) wheat, Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat and durum wheat. Durum wheat is considered one of the hardest of all the wheat classes and is generally considered to be an expensive wheat. Due to durum wheat's unique protein/starch binding, durum wheat is generally considered hard and unsuitable for use in the production of white-style breads having a light and airy texture.
To date, durum has typically been used when it is milled and refined to form a coarse, granular product called semolina flour which provides the grain constituent for pasta products, such as spaghetti, macaroni and the like. Pasta products generally comprise semolina flour, water and eggs that are extruded at high pressures (about 50 psig or greater) and at temperatures at or above 100° F. These semolina based pasta products are extruded under high shear conditions and comprise compressed and/or compacted structures as opposed to having an airy, internal gluten structure common with traditional baked products such as, for example, breads, bagels, muffins, croissants and the like.
While the use of whole grains in baking provides numerous health benefits, the use of whole grains can lead to a significant difference in appearance compared to traditional white breads made with refined wheat, such as refined HRW and HRS wheat. In particular, the use of whole grains in baking products can result in visual particulate matter that is viewable and distinguishable in the final baked product due to color differences between the bran, endosperm and germ. To the consumer, the presence of visual particulate matter and color differences may be less preferred than, for example refined, white-style bread, which tends to have very uniform color and generally no visible particulates.